Got space for two more?
by anotherOUATwriter
Summary: Emma picks little something on her way back from Boston, SQW - day 1: Sharing a(nother) child.


Regina felt Emma's magic long before the doorbell rang. Whatever had possessed the blonde to come to Mifflin Street was definitely upsetting the blonde. The calm and kindness that Regina used to feel whenever Emma was near had now been replaced with anger and fear.

"Emma."

"I was wondering if you've got space for two. For few weeks?"

" _Two?_ " Regina asked while trying to look around Emma. She was expecting to find Hook and already thinking of an excuse not to let them in. The last thing she wanted was the rum-reeking pirate in her house.

However, behind Emma, there was no one. Sensing Regina's confusion, Emma slowly turned around. It was then the brunette noticed a sleeping toddler, safely tucked into a kangaroo hold. She opened the door and let the blonde in.

"Thank you," Emma let out a breath of relief, as if she thought that Regina would have turned her and the toddler away. "Hook got angry, said if I wanted kids, we should make our own," she spat as she sat and gently unbuckled the kangaroo hold. "What am I supposed to do with this girl? Throw her away?"

That must be what's bothering Emma, and thus her magic so much. The air felt so heavy and charged that Regina wondered how was the toddler able to sleep thru the electrified atmosphere.

"And I mean, look at her," the blonde added, unstrapping and gently taking the girl into her arms. "Isn't she like, crazy beautiful?" she commented and Regina felt love and compassion overshadowing the anger and fear. And that is probably why the baby could sleep. Emma's anger was not directed towards her; Emma only projected good emotions towards the child.

For the first time, Regina took her time to study the baby. She couldn't be older than three years old. She wasn't clean; her face was covered in dirt everywhere but the lines where her tears fell had washed out paths through the grime. There was no doubt that her skin was couple of shades darker than Emma and closer to Regina's own skin tone. Her hair was in a similar condition, but Regina was sure once the toddler had a proper bath, the girl would have a beautiful dark brown hair color.

Without thinking about it, Regina caressed the toddler's belly with a finger, causing the girl to stir a bit. She looked up to Emma, finding the blonde smiling at her. Gone was the anger and fear and in place was the calm that Emma's magic usually conveyed.

"Who is she?" Regina asked, looking down at the girl again. She took pride on knowing all of the Storybrooke inhabitants and she had never seen this child, nor resembling parents.

"Her name is Camila."

"Her parents?"

"They left her," Emma whispered, as if she'd be afraid that Camila would hear her, "I was driving back from Boston and I stop to stretch my legs out. She was crouching next to a trash can, Regina! I had to take her! It's a miracle she wasn't eaten by a wild animal."

Regina placed both hands on Emma's arms, sensing the blonde's agitation, "Emma, hey, it's fine," she said in a soft voice, "I was just wondering, not judging you. It's fine. You saved her, and now you've brought her home."

Emma took a deep breath, and nodded at Regina. For reasons she couldn't fully understand, she came to Regina as soon as Hook rejected the child. To be honest, Regina had been the first person to pop into her mind when she thought how she would be able to take care of the child; the only reason why she went to Hook first was because they lived together and Emma hoped that he'd accept the baby, at least for a night.

Now, she understands it was a mistake. Not Camila, never Camila. But Hook: kissing Hook, dating Hook, moving in with Hook, and so on.

"How do you know her name is Camila?" Regina brought her back to reality.

"I named her."

"And you thought of _Camila_?"

Emma shrugged, "It's the actress from that tv show Henry watches... the one based on the Archie Comics... I think it's called Riverdale."

"We'll talk about what you let Henry watch later."

The blonde rolled her eyes, because Regina never stopped being a mom. "Anyhow, the actress is Latina and the baby looks Latina. It was the first name that came to mind," she explained, "Look, she wouldn't stop crying and I panicked. If you don't like it, we can change it."

"No, no," Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Camila is beautiful. I just wanted to know," she added

Regina extended her hands, silently asking Emma if she could hold the baby. Emma gladly passed the sleeping toddler onto Regina's arms. The movement woke the girl up; she opened her eyes and looked up at Regina.

"Oh," Regina let out when she saw the baby's eyes. She had one dark brown eye and one green.

"Beautiful, right?" Emma asked, standing right behind Regina. Regina nodded at the question, before tickling the girl's belly one more time.

"Hello, Camila. How would you feel about a bubble bath?"

The girl smiled at Regina. "Bubbles?" she asked, unable to hide her excitement.

"Yes, bubbles," the brunette nodded, "and then, we'll go meet your brother."

"Bubbles and bwothew!" Camila repeated before giggling.

Emma watched the brunette climbing the stairs with a smile on her face. She knew that being a mother came naturally to Regina, but she never stopped being awestruck at the interactions between Regina and children. The two of them chatted amicably and Emma couldn't help but to feel like an outsider.

"Emma?" Regina called from the top of the staircase, "If we are sharing another child, I expect you to be a little bit more proactive than watching inappropriate TV shows and feeding them junk food."

"Hey!" Emma protested, even though she knew Regina was joking, as she climbed the stairs and joined the other two in Regina's master bathroom.

She was aware that outside of Regina's house, there were a lot of things she needed to do: adoption papers, breaking up with Hook and asking him to move out, telling her parents about Camilla, and why they wouldn't live with them, and so on. But right now, the only thing that mattered was Regina kneeling at the bathtub with rolled-up sleeves and Camila's giggles and squeals as she splashed the water.

Everything was great.

* * *

And weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.

Emma never moved out of 108 Mifflin Street.


End file.
